Brighton 3, Crystal Palace 1: Murray penalty, Duffy red card and Balogun scores with first-touch as Albion see off arch-rivals

Substitute Florin Andone made in 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion before half-time to put the hosts on their way to a memorable Premier League win against their arch rivals Crystal Palace at the Amex.

Roy Hodgson may have been awarded the freedom of Croydon on Monday night, but it was the hosts that released the shackles in the so-called M23 derby.

The former England boss was awarded the accolade at a special ceremony just 24 hours earlier, but he had to watch a free-running Brighton ease to victory despite playing almost 65 minutes with ten men.

Murray stroked Albion ahead on 24 minutes from a soft penalty and in the aftermath of appeals for a second just two minutes later, Duffy saw red for pushing his head into Patrick van Aanholt.

After the manic few moments, a reshuffle saw Balogun summoned from the bench and any returning calmness was extinguished as the Nigerian smashed home with his first touch.

Palace had one cleared off the line, before Andone showed a great bit of persistence to chase down a seemingly lost cause to fire home a third in first-half injury-time.

They did pull one back late on, Luka Milovojevic converting, what was this time a definite penalty, but the home side held strong for the final few minutes.

Albion went into the game having lost just one of their past nine home Premier League matches with four wins and four draws.

The Seagulls had also scored in each of their last seven league fixtures - their longest top flight scoring streak.

The visitors ended an eight-game winless run in the division by beating Burnley at the weekend and were bidding for back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

Brighton made two changes from the side that won 2-1 at Huddersfield with Murray returning to face his former side and Martin Motoya also coming into the starting XI at the expense of Andone and Bruno. The latter, who was not included on the bench, limped out of Saturday's win, although Chris Hughton had said the defender was fit again.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh remained sidelined with hamstring trouble, while Dale Stephens served the final match of three-match ban.

There was a good tempo to the hosts' play in the opening ten minutes as they worked the ball from left to right with speed, but failed to find any space in a tight final third. The only chance was a half one; Murray heading well off target from a Duffy cross.

Palace's first venture forward came on 16 minutes as van Aanholt got away down the left and put a cross straight at Andros Townsend, but his aimed and firm header flew wide from eight yards.